


Birth of Steven Universe

by VolarFinch



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, MomSwap!, Other, SU - Freeform, Steven Universe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 17:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7063042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolarFinch/pseuds/VolarFinch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>MomSwap! AU drabble. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl have been replaced with Jasper, Lapis, and Peridot as Steven’s caretakers. This prompt takes place a few days after Steven’s birth, where he’s bigger and healthier than a normal child due to his gem’s healing properties. Rose Quartz has been replaced by a new quartz named Citrine, a gem that has healing properties, is infamous for providing luck, and can provoke "happy emotions."</p>
<p>The following characters personalities have been tweaked with slightly, to fit the situation, and I hope you enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birth of Steven Universe

“Citrine’s… son?” Jasper voiced awkwardly, glancing down at the same child in Lapis Lazuli’s arms. Her head spun at the fact, whirling with unanswered questions––what happened to Citrine? How was this possible? Was Citrine’s… son, a gem or a human? How was a fusion between a human and gem like this even possible? “Lapis, where’s Citrine, she needs to explain…” Her voice died as Lapis’s gaze deflected from hers, blue eyes focusing on the sleeping child in her arms. “Lapis, where’s Citrine?”

“Jasper…”

“Lapis!”

“She’s gone,” a new voice piped, tight with emotion that was failing to be pushed away. Jasper turned around, facing the familiar sight of the green technician, Peridot. “Her physical form was given up to produce this human–gem hybrid. She’s… she’s gone, Jasper.”

“You’re lying.” Jasper growled, storming up to the shorter gem as she glared at her. “You’re lying!”

“Jasper,” Lapis muttered.

“It’s impossible, dammit!” Jasper continued, ignoring Lapis and Peridot. “I was poofed just the other day! I––Citrine couldn’t have died while I was regenerating! She was stronger than that.”

“You were regenerating for three weeks,” Peridot informed stiffly. “During that time, Citrine gave birth and faded into her son, ‘Steven.’ We were both there.”

“Why would she…!?”

The baby’s eyes blinked open wearily, widening at the sight of Jasper. Tears welled in the child’s eyes as he let out a wail, flailing in Lapis’ arms.

“It’s crying again,” Peridot muttered.

“Jasper, please lower your voice,” Lapis begged, rocking the child. “Steven doesn’t like loud noises.”

“Steven…?” Jasper muttered in disbelief, glancing down at the child with narrowed eyes. “It… it has a name?”

“Mhm, Citrine named him ‘Steven Universe’,” Lapis spoke up softly. “He’s her only legacy.” Lapis’s eyes filled with tears, teeth clenched tightly as she glared down at the floor. Her entire posture stiffened.

“I want to be angry,” she said. “I want to hate this child so much, but I just can’t, Jasper. Peridot’s tried; Steven broke through her defenses in five minutes. He’s not Citrine, but he practically knows us like she does… did. He knows what gets to us, what makes us mad, what he needs to do to get our attention… he knows who we are, Jasper. I––we can’t hate him.”

Jasper was quiet, staring down at ‘Steven Universe’ with shaken eyes. She, Lapis, Peridot, and Citrine had survived a war to save this miserable rock and the life on it, wandered for nearly five thousand years, and Citrine… left when she had been regenerating? She couldn’t wait a few more days? She couldn’t have just…?

The crying stopped suddenly, obvious in the silence that had ensued around the three. Jasper blinked, snapping from her thoughts as she glanced down at Steven Universe. The child glanced up at Jasper with wide eyes, a giddy smile covering his face as he reached out to the battle gem. Lapis stared, glancing up at Jasper as she offered Steven Universe to the larger gem.

Jasper had never felt so anxious as she held her arms up in defense.

“I’ll break him,” she rebuttled.

“You won’t,” Lapis argued stubbornly. “Just hold him.”

“He’ll start crying again if he feels you don’t ‘love’ him,” Peridot chimed. “Or something. That human, Greg, was rather vague about his definition.”

“How can he know if I don’t care?” Jasper wondered incredulously. Citrine had had the ability, more like the foresense, but Jasper had never considered it a quirk from the other quartz’s gem.

“You do care, and he knows, Jasper. He’s like his mother that way.” Lapis’s voice nearly broke, but she kept it at a waver. “Just hold him. I need to sit down.” Jasper seemed to notice the exhaustion in Lapis’s eyes and stance––though gems couldn’t get physically tired, their mental state could wear down their physical image.

Jasper crouched slightly, taking the small child into her arms––no, hands. The child was no bigger than the both of her hands cupped together, giggling up at her with a gleeful gaze.

“He’s so small,” Jasper muttered unconsciously.

“All humans are once they’re ‘born’,” Peridot stated. “They start off weak and defenseless, so Lapis has been running around keeping the hybrid from getting himself killed in ungodly ways. I’ve been attempting to research how to take care of a child, as Greg Universe seems to have slipped into depression and is refusing to even hold ‘Steven.’ Now that you’re back, it might be easier on the both of us.”

“Steven Universe,” Jasper mumbled, Steven Universe latching onto one of her fingers and gnawing on it. “Citrine’s son… a human and a gem. A… link.”

Jasper’s eyes widened, staring down at Steven Universe with a new revelation. Abruptly, she understood her friend and leader, her choices, and why she’d decided to have Steven Universe. He was a bridge––a link for gems and humans. Jasper should have seen it sooner, but it made sense now that she was looking at the final product of Citrine’s planning, whether improvised or thoughtout.

“Steven Universe is our priority,” Jasper spoke up, turning to Peridot and Lapis. “Nothing is to kill this child––if this child dies, we as protectors of this ‘Earth’, will lose our purpose of being here. Understand?”

Lapis and Peridot shared an uncertain look, uneasy about the order. However, one glance at Steven Universe (who had fallen asleep in Jasper’s hands), and the two nodded in agreement.

“Steven is a part of Earth,” Peridot agreed. “It is only natural that we should protect him as we protect the other inhabitants of this planet.”

“We won’t let anything happen to Steven or the Earth!” Lapis exclaimed. “We will protect them both!”

Jasper nodded, a small smirk appearing on her face as she glanced down at Steven Universe.

“We won’t let you down, Citrine.”


End file.
